


A test, a note and a text

by dreamy_writer



Series: slovember 2020 [1]
Category: Nation Being Things (Webcomic)
Genre: First Meetings, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Medical Procedures, Meet-Cute, Pandemics, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27408667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamy_writer/pseuds/dreamy_writer
Summary: "Oh.""What? Don't say you're positive or I'm gonna kick your ass.""No, just...""What?""Oh my god, they left you their number? With a 'Text me' and a heart? Oh my god, you need to text them!"ora Sloslo meet-cute (sort of).
Relationships: Slovakia & Czechia (Lullindo), Slovakia/Slovenia (Lullindo)
Series: slovember 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2002483
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	A test, a note and a text

**Author's Note:**

> Don't know if anyone's gonna read it, but hope you enjoy.  
> I combined Slovember prompts 1 (First meeting) and 23 (Quarantine).  
> The next chapter is coming soon. Or at least I hope so...

"Don't be nervous, it's gonna be okay."  
The fact that his sister felt she needed to say that as they parked next to the hospital building made Zdenko everything but calm. To be honest, he felt like puking and fainting at the same time. He was always squeamish about anything related to medicine and even though he knew exactly how the testing process worked, he was still nervous.

"Hopefully. We gotta think negatively." He replied, making Lenka snort as she was putting on a mask.

"This is one of the few times we're allowed to say it. Let's go. There's not many people yet, and I'd like to get home before lunch."

"Okay." He swallowed, wove a red scarf around his throat, put a mask on and jumped out of the car.

He waited for her to lock the car, then started walking to the small queue that formed in front of the testing place.

Exactly twenty-one minutes later, the police officer standing next to the door to the testing place gestured at Zdenko to get in.  
He went through the registration smoothly, proud of himself for not stuttering when asked to provide things like name, address or the date of birth. He waited for a minute, while the medical workers prepared the stuff they needed and changed gloves, then stepped forward as the soldier standing to the side of the testing area nodded his head to the table.

"Take off your mask, please," said one of the medical workers, while the other in front of him placed a hand on his shoulder, holding a test swab in the other.

He must've seen the fear in his eyes.  
"Don't worry, it's not that bad. It hurts just a little bit."

While tears did well up in Zdenko's eyes at the unpleasant sensation, it was a short-lived feeling.  
"See, it wasn't that bad," the worker sounded a bit amused, "please, move over to the waiting area, you'll get your results soon."

"What happened to you there? You almost dropped the swab!"

"Nothing, Borna, my hand just cramped."

Luka tore off the gloves and dropped them into the waste bin. He needed to exchange them for another pair and rotate with Borna, so that she can take the samples and he can work on the tests.

"Was it the guy?"

"What?! No!"

"I mean, he was handsome, definitely your type..."

"Shut up! We're at work, and he could hear us!"

"So he is your type." His sister grinned, eyes crinkling behind the plastic face shield and for a second, Luka wished he wasn't standing there, but lying in his bed at home, listening to music and reading a book.

"Don't even try to deny that you think he's nice, you talked to him. That's the first time you talked to someone outside of the team today."

"Borna, please, drop it. We have work to do." Luka requested dryly, snapping on the second glove and turning to the table, pointedly ignoring his sister, who just sighed and moved to swab the next person waiting. But she had a plan. A bit crazy one that could go wrong really, really easily, but nevertheless. A plan.

"To be honest, I thought it would hurt more, the way everyone was talking about it..." Lenka said, leaning against the wall next to Zdenko.

"Mhm, it wasn't that bad. But the PCR ones reportedly hurt more..."

"Yeah, those are worse, Agnieszka had them done and said she almost cried."

"That bad?"

"Well, you know how she is sometimes," Lenka waved her hand, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah... Also, how is she doing? You talked on the phone yesterday?"

"She's fine, but we probably won't be seeing her for a while, they're staying in the capital. She got the job she was going for and Kemény has something too, don't remember what though."

"Him I definitely don't mind not seeing for a while, my blood pressure is high enough as it is," grumbled Zdenko, then yawned. He was a bit tired, because he couldn't really sleep at night, mind plagued with both new story ideas and worried what-ifs about the pandemic.

"Oh come on, he's not that bad..."

"He is and I stand behind that."  
For a while, they both didn't say anything, just leaning against the wall, their shoulders touching, Lenka playing with the strings of the hoodie she was dressed in. Then, a medical worker came out with envelopes in hand.

"Seventy-five!" 

"That's mine," mumbled Zdenko, walking to the worker, dropping the paper number he was holding in a small box and taking the envelope, hands shaking a bit.

"Seventy-six!" 

  
His sister whipped past him, doing the same and soon, they were walking away from the testing place, both holding the same envelopes.

"Are we gonna open them or what?" asked Lenka when they were finally sitting on the car.

"I kind of don't want to."

"Come on, let's do it at the same time."

"Okay."

"Now."

They both opened them and pulled out the medical certificate.

"Yes! I can go to work!" Lenka hooted, excited. Zdenko, on the other hand, was quietly staring at the paper.

"Oh."

Lenka noticed the silence and looked at him and his indescribable face expression.  
"What? Don't say you're positive or I'm gonna kick your ass."

"No, just..."

"What?" She tore the paper and the envelope out of his hands.

"Oh my god, one of them left you their number? With a 'Text me' and a heart? Oh my god, you need to text them!"

"I'm pretty sure it was a guy, actually."

"Even better! Wait, how do you know which one did it?"

When he didn't respond, Lenka looked at him more carefully and noticed his red ears.  
"You've got a crush!"

"No, I don't! Let's go home, I'm tired."

"Okay, but we're talking about this later, and you're gonna text them."

"Am not, but okay."

"So, are you gonna text him?" Lenka dropped down on the couch in their living room, settling down next to Zdenko, who was watching the news, bundled up in a blanket.

"Lenka, I'm pretty sure it was meant as a joke."

"What if it wasn't and he really wants you to text? And you miss the chance for a date with a cute boy?"

"Stop pestering me, I don't even what he looks like through all the garb he had on! Or even if it was the one you mean. Please stop, or I'll really throw you out of the window."

Zdenko turned away from her, but she was undeterred.   
"Hey, that's my thing! Also, you shouldn't, who will get you out of your writing-slash-drinking binges you get into? Besides, it will be like a blind date, but you know they are already interested in you. So, why not?"

"Okay, okay, okay, I'll text them, just stop pestering me." He then lied down, almost pushing Lenka off the couch with his legs.

"I'm going to make some dinner. Do you want something?"

"Nah, I already ate."

Later, at night, when Zdenko was already lying in bed, he looked at the note, which he placed on the nightstand next to his bed, then at his phone, which was on his pillow, article about some book open in the browser.  
It was kind of a split-second decision. One second, he was just staring into the darkness, the next one he was lying on his back, phone in hand, the number already typed in.

Then, he paused. He didn't think about what he would write. It took him another few minutes to think of something appropriate.

Z: Hello? Is this the guy who was doing tests this morning in the hospital parking lot?

Soon, his phone chimed and lit up. He unlocked it, nearly dropping it behind his bed to get to the message.

UN: Hi?? Where did you get this number?  
Z: You left it in the envelope with my results...  
UN: Your results?

So, it was a joke. But before he could lament himself and his stupidity, another message popped up.

UN: Wait, are you a guy around twenty, brown hair, blue coat, red scarf?  
Z: Yeah.  
UN: Oh my god, I'm gonna kill her.  
Z: Who?  
UN: I think it was my sister... She always wants to set me up with someone.  
Z: Don't worry, I know that, I have one like that...

They chatted a bit more after that, sharing short anecdotes about their respective sisters. However, even after that, he didn't know the stranger's name.

When he woke up the next morning, it was around nine, the sky behind the window gray and cloudy. He wanted to text the guy again, but he realised that he will probably be busy with the tests, so he stayed quiet, doing some of the work he left unfinished and pointedly ignoring his sister's stares.

She finally managed to corner him in the kitchen when he decided that another cup of coffee wouldn't hurt.

"Did you text him?"

"What do you think?" He smirked, knowing how much she hated when he answered her questions with another question.

"I swear to God, Zdeno, if you don't answer properly..." Only then, he noticed she was holding a frying pan and quickly stepped back.

"Don't kill me, I have texted him already!"  
She slowly put the pan down on the kitchen table and leveled him with a glare.

"Good."

Then, she was gone.

"That was weird as hell," thought Zdenko while pouring himself another cup of coffee.  
He went back to his room and sat down behind the desk, looking at the laptop screen, when he noticed his phone's screen was lit up. He almost dropped it as he scrambled to unlock it.

UN: Hey!  
Z: Hey  
UN: Thought I'd text you, we're on a break rn  
Z: Nice. How's it going?

Zdenko almost banged his head against the desk. Why did he sound so stupid?

UN: Good! There's lot less people than yesterday  
UN: But my sister is still annoying  
Z: Mine too  
Z: She tried to kill me with a pan  
UN: Lol  
UN: Why? :D

"Well, shit. Do I tell him the truth?"

Z: She wanted to know if I texted you yet  
Z: She's kinda overbearing, always just "Come on Zdenko you can't just sit at home alone all day, you gotta do something else"

Before he was able to type another message,  
his phone pinged again.

UN: Wait, your name's Zdenko?  
Z: Um, yeah.  
UN: I haven't told you mine, have I? I'm Luka :)  
Z: Nice name  
L: Thanks, yours is too ^^

"So, how is it going with your mysterious suitor, brother mine?"

"Shut up, Lenka, he's not mysterious..." 

A month passed, month of constant messaging, starting early in the morning and ending late at night.  
Lenka noticed Zdenko wasn't as grumpy as before. He smiled more and joked more and it was less sarcasm and more genuine humor. She wouldn't even know the guy's name hadn't she read it accidentally one day when her brother left his phone on the kitchen table, but she hoped they would keep talking. Her brother finally seemed happier, and hell would freeze over before she let anyone change that.

"Don't you guys maybe want to meet up? They're easing the restrictions, starting the next Monday. You could go for a coffee..."

"I'm not sure... What if he doesn't want to meet, or I make a fool of myself, or-"

Lenka rolled her eyes. "Don't be dense, Z. You need to ask, but I'm sure he won't turn you down. And you won't make a fool of yourself, you just need to act natural."

"Yeah, and scare him away forever. Honestly, I'm not even sure why he's still talking to me." Zdenko stuffed his head under a pillow on the couch, his words muffled by the fabric, but still audible.

Lenka groaned and tore the pillow out of his hands. "I'd ask why are you so stupid, but I'm not sure I want to know. Just- Text him and ask. The worse thing that happens is he'll turn you down."

"It's easy to say for you, when you're not in my situation."

"Yeah, and that's why I'm telling you this, because you can't see it. Text. Him. And. Ask!"

"Okay, okay, okay, I'll do it, please stop throwing pillows at me, I'm trying to watch the news."

"Oh, I thought you were trying to suffocate yourself, but I'll take your word on that."

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thank you for reading!  
> Kudos and comments are my lifeblood :D


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